Rural mail boxes of many types have been known for a considerable period of time. Generally, these mail boxes comprise an elongate enclosure which has a door at one end to permit access to the interior, with the doors generally being sprung to assist in their closure.
Some prior art mail boxes have been provided with trays which slide in and out of the enclosure. Where such slidable trays are provided, the sliding mechanism is usually actuated by door opening and closing, often by complex lever and other mechanisms. Typical prior art patents are U.S. Pat. Nos. 907,787, 908,543, 1,050,252, 1,471,899, 1,483,077 and 3,606,140.
A major problem associated with spring mechanisms for door closures is that the spring tends to wear out, so that positive door closure no longer is effected by the spring and this is a particular problem with doors which are hinged at the bottom.